Operating device for tube expanders and the like



G. WIEDEKE Dec. 16, 1930.

OPERATING DEVICE FOR TUBE EXPANDERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 28. 19 29 INVENTOH. 61/5774 V W/EDEKE.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1930 um'rso STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAV W-IEZDEK'E, OE DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR. T0 GUSTAV WJIEDEIE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A "COIARTNERSHIP CONSISTING 0F GUSTAV WIEDEK'E, OTTO ROBERT WIEDEKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR,v TUBE EXPANDEZRS AND THE LIKE Application filed October 28, 1928., Serielflo. 4925852.

This invention relates to an operating device tor. tuhecxpanders and the like and 18 designed more particularly for use in expanding a tube in a header'or like structure, Q

t may be .usedin connection with tube cuttors o like devices Headers of, the type here referred .to ar tubular structures, havingin one side wall thereof a, series of op ings to receive tubes and having in anot er Wall the eof, usually at right angles toth first mention d wall, a series of hand h les, there being one such hand hole adjacent to ach tub re eiving opening but not necessarily in line therewith.c In expanding o cutting -a lt ube which has been inserted in one of the tube receiving openings the eX- panding or cutting tool'is introduced into the header through a hand hole adjacent to the tube whichis to be expanded or out and theninserted in the tube; Usually. the tool is operated by. a wrench having a straight handle which extends out through the hand hole adjacent to the tube inwhich the tool is mounted. The hand holes are of small size and thehandle or lever can have only a short movement in the same, .thus limiting to an objectionable extent the amount ofrmovement that can be imparted to the tool upon each operation of the handle and rendering the operation slow and unsatisfactory.

' One object of the. invention is to provide an operating deviceior atube expanding or cutting tool of such a character that it will impart a relatively large movement to the tool.

A v:t'urtherohjectof the invention is to provide such an operating device which will be very simple in'its construction inexpensive to produce and easily operated. I

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig.1 i a side elevation, partly in section, of a header showing the invention installed therein; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken through the header at right angles to the view of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View of the wrench.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of the invention and have shown the same in connection with aheader of a well known type but it, will be understood that the. device-may take various forms and may be used in connection with headers. or like devices of clifieren kind t term header being herein used to designate any structure similar in character and function t that herein illus ra e T e ea er how n the p esen a ng comprises a long ubula structure 5 ha ing in one wall thereof a series of openings 6 to receive the ends of tubes 7., There may be any suitable number ofthese tube receiving openings and they may be spaced apart vari ous distances. Inthat side of the header which extends at substantially right. angles to the s ide in which the tube receiving open ings are. formed, is a secondseriesof open.- ings 8, which constitute hand holes,and there is one. oflthesehand holes for eacli'tube receiving opening, the corresponding hand holes and tube receiving openings being, in the present instance, arranged in the same transverse plane so fthat thehand hole is closely adjacent to the tube receiving opening' The hand holes are normally closed by suitable closures which are removed when access is to be had to the interiorof the header, and which arenothere shown.

When a tube in one of the :tube receiving openings is to be expanded or cut the tube expanding or cutting tool is introduced into the header through the hand hole adjacent to the-tube upon which itis to operate and is then inserted in the tube. In the present drawings the invention is illustrated in connectionwith a tube expanding tool, or expander. The particular, tube expander here shown comprises the usual frame 9, expanding rollers,'one of which isshown at 10, and

a mandrel 11, whichlserves both to rotate the frame and to force the expanding rollers outwardly. The outer end of the mandrel is adapted-to receive a suitable operating device. Preferablyfthe operating device'comprises a pawl' and ratchet wrench and the wrench here shown consistsof a ratchet wheel 12 having asquare opening 13'to receive the square end 14; of the mandrel. Appawl carrier 151s mountedffor movement about the l operating member.

axis of the ratchet wheel and has a substantially radial socket 16 to receive a handle or The pawl carrier supports one or more pawls adapted to engage the ratchet wheel and impart movement to the mandrel when the pawl carrier is moved in one direction and to ride over the ratchet teeth when the pawl carrier is moved in the other direction. In the present instance, I have shown two pawls 17 which are so arranged that when one pawl is in operative engagement with a tooth of the ratchet wheel the other pawl will be spaced substantially midway between two teeth, thus enabling the pawl carrier to pick up the ratchet wheel with a minimum of lost motion.

As has been explained, when the operating handle for the wrench extends outwardly through the adjacent hand hole 8 its movement is limited by the relatively small size of the hand hole and in order to secure a longer movement of the handle and a correspondingly greater movement of the tube expander I have provided a specially shaped handle of such a character that it Will have substantially longitudinal movement through one of the hand holes and will impart a relatively large movement to the pawl carrier. The handle is indicated as a whole by the ref erence numeral 18 and it comprises an inner end portion 19 adapted to enter the socket 16 of the wrench and to extend lengthwise of the header. Extending laterally from the outer end of the part 19 of the handle is a second part 20 which, in the present instance, extends at substantially right angles to the part 19 and projects through a hande hole 8 spaced from the tube in which the tube expander is mounted. Preferably the part 20 of the handle extends through that hand hole next beyond the hand hole adjacent to the tube which is being expanded. At its outer end the part 20 of the handle is provided with a hand grip by means of which itmay be operated and, in the present instance, a third part 21 of the handle extends from the outer end of the part 20 lengthwise of the header and in a direction away from the wrench. It will be apparent that when the part 21 of the handle is moved toward and from the header the transverse portion 20 thereof will move longitudinally through the hand hole 8, thereby permitting the inner end portion 19 of the handle to move the full width of the header, that is, from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown in dotted lines, and'consequently the handle will impart a very substantial movement to the wrenchand to the tube expander. The handle is removably connected with the wrench and in practice the inner end thereof will be passed through the hand hole in which it is to operate and inserted in the socket of the wrench afterthe latter has been placed in position on the tube expander. The device is very simple in its construction and can be produced at a very low cost and, further, it is very easy to operate. By its use I am able to impart to the tube expander a much greater movement than can be imparted thereto, in a header, by other operating devices.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device for operating a tube expanding or cutting tool, or the like, in a header having in one side thereof alongitudinal series of tube receiving openings and having a second longitudinal series of openings in a side.

hereof which is at a substantially right angle to the first mentioned side, the openings of said second series being arranged adjacent to the respective tube receiving openings, said device comprising a pawl and ratchet wrench to be connected with a tool which has been inserted in a tube in one of said tube receiving openings, and a handle for said wrench having a part extending from said wrench lengthwise of said header, and a part extending transversely to the axis of said wrench and arranged to extend through an opening in said second series which is spaced longitudinally of said header from the tube in which said tool is mounted, and also having a part extending from the outer end of said transverse part lengthwise of said header.

' 2. An operating device for a tube expanding tool or the like comprising a rotatable wrench to be supported by said tool, a handle for said wrench having a part extending substantially radially from said wrench, a part extending laterally from the first mentioned part and transversely to the axis of said wrench, and a part extending from the outer end of said lateral part in a direction approximately parallel with the first mentioned part.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

1 GUSTAV WIEDEKE. 

